Three Times
by sunny-hiccup
Summary: One for the house. Two for the child. Three for growing old. Cover art by Burdge.
1. House

**.1 - House**

"Isn't it just wonderful Percy?"

"It's… a dump…" Percy looked at his new wife with a look of confusion.

"But it's so perfect!"

"I see work." Percy deadpanned.

"You would! But this! This can be ours!" Annabeth clasped her hands together.

"Can't we look…"

"No. This one. This is the one for us." Annabeth smiled widely.

"You don't want to think about this? Or even talk about it?" Percy questioned. Annabeth shook her head.

"It's this one Percy."

Percy sighed, knowing this was already a lost cause.

…..

And it was a lost cause. By the end of two weeks the run down house was in their name and they held the keys. Or Annabeth did.

"I have huge plans for this place Percy." She sighed at they walked from room to room, hands clasped. Percy could smell the decay radiation off the place.

"Do we even have the money to fix this place up?" he asked.

"Being the main architect for Olympus doesn't pay lightly Percy. We're all set. Besides, as soon as we get this place done, the less time we will spend sleeping in your mother's living room." Annabeth stepped away from him and observed her surroundings. "It just feels like a dream." She breathed.

"All of it?" he asked, smiling at her. The light coming through the dirty windows was faint and clouded but it still hit her in a way that Percy would remember forever.

She walked towards Percy.

"Yes. Getting married, finding our first home, fixing it together, everything is falling into place. Just like it should." She placed her hands in his and squeezed.

…

Annabeth was the first one to swing a sledge hammer, knocking the rotting cabinets off the wall. Her grin was huge through her air mask. "I can see it now." Percy barely heard what she said, but it made him smile all the same.

…

Many walls were knocked down, new ones were built. Gross thing were also found and they spent a great deal of the money fixing those problems as well.

Annabeth had the house planned to every last detail. He was painting the new walls when she and Piper came stumbling through the doors, their arms laden with bags.

She proceeded to show him what was in them and he just had to smile at her excitement.

…

"I swear, nothing is hotter than a man tiling a backsplash." Annabeth laughed, wrapping her arms around Percy's bent over waist.

"I actually think you would be better suited for this job. You're smaller than I am." Percy grunted. Annabeth pressed her lips into is sweaty back.

"Really? Well I prefer to have you do it." she drew away. He could just feel that smirk growing as she walked away and it almost didn't surprise her when she was lifted off the ground and pressed into the couch by Percy. That work day was pretty much over after that.

…

The kitchen and the living room were a pretty sunny yellow. Dark brown cabinets and couch completed the look.

Annabeth had found an interesting stucco finish for their bedroom walls, bathing it in a pretty dark blue.

"Isn't it perfect Percy?" Annabeth asked, her head resting on his chest at the observed their yearlong trial.

"It is. Good Job." He kissed her head. Annabeth looked up at him

"Told you." She smirked. Percy groaned.

"I guess you did." He admitted. Annabeth looked at him with her sparkling grey eyes.

"Now… let's go get the rest of our stuff and finish moving in!" she hopped off the couch and Percy, chuckling, followed her.


	2. Trials

**.3 - Trials**

He remembered the first pregnancy test and her beaming smile as she handed him the test and the feel of her pressed against his body as she jumped into his arms. The happiness that followed only compared to that of their wedding day.

Within three weeks that feeling was gone.

The second test was met with more joy, knowing that they could try again.

It was only two weeks.

The third time, ten months later, they held their breath as the doctors confirmed the child to be healthy and growing perfectly.

Annabeth took as many precautions as she could, even taking a few days off work to rest.

They breezed through the time when they lost the other two. Everything was looking up.

…

"Have a good day today." Percy kissed Annabeth lightly in front of her classroom door. She taught a few math classes and ran the architecture program for the school, while he was a marine biology teacher and regular biology teacher in the same school.

"I will, don't worry." Annabeth raised her tea to her lips. "Remember, we have a doctor appointment after school." She rested her hand on the swell of her belly.

"Can't forget." Percy smiled, kissed her again, than turned, heading down to his own classroom

…

He sat against the wall, head in his hands, feeling as if the world was falling down around him.

Everything had been so perfect, until… there was no heartbeat.

Silent tears had traced Annabeth cheeks as she had to push anyway.

Nothing much mattered anymore.

…

Annabeth lay in her side, tears falling onto her pillow.

Why? Why take another child from them again?

…

Three days later they came home. Percy closed the door to the half-finished nursery, pressure building behind his eyes.

Annabeth went to rest, her head fuzzy and her body tired from the ordeal.

Percy came and lay beside her. They both stared up at the endlessly white ceiling.

Finally Annabeth rolled over and buried her head in Percy's chest, sobs racking her body. As Percy kissed the crown of her head, he felt his own hot tears running down his cheeks.

…

It was amazing how something long buried in the past could affect them so greatly in the future.

The damage from the Giant War was too great on Annabeth. It had wreaked her, rendering her incapable of carrying a child.

More tears were shed. Percy's mom came and stayed with them for a bit. That helped.

…

It took time.

It took longer than they thought.

But the hole that was created in Percy and Annabeth was mended slowly.

They would never forget the three children that could have been theirs but slowly they came to terms with their facts.

It still stung. It still haunted them.

It was a sensitive subject that cause tears in Annabeth eyes and a clot in Percy's throat.

But they got better.

…

The kids at camp helped too.

There were dozens of new younger kids that came to the camp every year, sending the numbers soaring and Mr. D to groan into his diet coke.

And when Annabeth reached for his hand across the table and sent him a smile over the top of a redheaded Athena boy, he smiled back, a full grin that showed he could never convey how much he really and truly loved her, no matter what the gods had to throw at them.


	3. Growing

**.3 - Growing**

**...**

Percy woke to Annabeth tracing the lines of long faded scars across his back.

"Good morning. She murmured, her lips brushing the sensitive skin on the back of his neck.

"You always know when I am awake." He pushed his face into his pillow.

"Well I've been with you long enough. I _should_ know" Annabeth brought her head up to his shoulder. Percy chuckled sleepily.

"You're the best." He looked up at her.

"So are you." She moved to kiss him lightly, pulling away afterwards to run her fingers through the greying hairs at his temples.

"Stop inadvertently pointing out my oldness." Percy said, shaking his head a bit to shake her off.

"Hey. I'm older than you are."

"Ha! You are aren't you! Happy Birthday by the way." He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her on top of him.

Annabeth laughed. "Thanks for remembering."

"I always remember." He smiled.

"Of course you do." She brought her lips to his again. "And you're not old."

"Your just saying that because you can't see your grey hairs." He twirled a lock of her hair around his fingers.

"But you can see the wrinkles." She argued.

'So we're equal?"

"Hummm, I can see your wrinkles too." Annabeth ran her fingers along the scruff on his chin.

"That's it." He moved his hands to her sides.

"NO!" Annabeth squirmed away from him, trying to get rid of his hands.

"Never!"

"Percy!" She rolled off him and smacked his chest.

"Ow." Percy groaned.

"Growing old has made your pain tolerance very low." Annabeth looked at him.

Percy glared at her. "Really?"

Annabeth laughed, pressing her face to his shoulder. "Hummm."

They laid there together in silence, just enjoying each other, the rest and their comfy, warm bed.

"We'll always enjoy growing old together right?" Percy asked, his lips moving in her hair.

"Until you can no longer pick me up, of course we will."


End file.
